As marketers, we’re always on the lookout for break-though ideas. Here’s one I love.
The ‘Dumb ways to die’ campaign was developed for Metro Trains in Victoria, to educate travellers about risky behaviour around trains. This challenging (boring?) brief could have produced a series of grim public service announcement images. Instead, this is an apparently light hearted execution founded in black humour to great effect. Like so many successful ideas, its execution belies the inspired insight, focus, and expertise that were required to bring it to life.
Wikipedia reports the ‘Dumb ways to die’ campaign has generated;
- $50 million worth of global media value
- more than 700 media stories, and
- Contributed to a more than 30% reduction in “near-miss” accidents.
As of June 2013 the video had had 49 million views on youtube. At Metro Trains it would have taken a brave person to first sign off on this creative execution – but taking a calculated risk can have unprecedented returns. In June 2013 the ‘Dumb ways to die’ video won a record-breaking five prizes at the Cannes International Festival of Creativity (Advertising’s ‘Oscars’) and was named world’s best commercial for 2012.
